Party Deviled Eggs

So here are the marbled eggs from before and there was a party in the evening so I made deviled eggs from the eggs I had at hand.

Ingredients:
Eggs (8)
Mayonnaise (1-1/2 to 2 tbsp)
Mustard (1-2 tsp, or more if you loooove mustard)
Lemon Juice (1-2 tsp)
Pickles (as much as you like)
Jalapeno (as much as you like)
Green onion (white part, optional)
Bacon (optional)
Cayenne pepper (optional)
Salt, Pepper to taste

Method:
First cut the eggs in half.

Then remove the egg yolks in a separate bowl....

Next, cut the green onion (white parts) reeeally finely, pickle, jalapeno, juice the lemon...

Then add 1-1/2 to 2 tbsp of mayonnaise, 1 tsp of mustard, and the rest of the cut green onion, pickle, jalapeno and 1-2 tsp of lemon juice (removes the 'egginess'), salt and pepper (add little by little, tasting frequently..........and might i say, taste little quantity each time ;) ). And if you like it hot add cayenne pepper.

I would suggest adding the mayo in little quantities to make sure the resulting mixture is not to runny.

Since I added everything at the same time and mixed it all up, there was no going back. But the taste was good so i was forgiven lol

Add the mixture to a ziploc bag so its easy to pipe into the egg whites.

After piping in the yolk mix, garnish with a few bits of pickles and jalapeno and if you like bacon dont be shy ;)

If its a yes to bacon, make sure you add little less salt than you would put normally to the yolk mixture, since the bacon is salty by itself.

Sprinkle some freshly ground pepper and viola!

Ooooff the gorgeousness!

Nachos

One of the most memorable food that I tasted after coming to the United States was Nachos.The definition of Nachos in many online sources is basically "Tortilla chips topped with cheese , hot peppers ......." and the list goes on. The base of nachos is definitely tortilla chips and cheese.

Its origins are from neighboring Mexico, but it also has some relation with America in the background. Ill explain how:

Sixty eight years ago from today, Nachos was created by Ignacio 'Nacho' Anaya in 1943. The creation basically began in Mexico with a bunch of hungry American soldiers coming into a restaurant owned by Ignacio's father. Incidentally (or rather ..... thankfully!) papa Ignacio was MIA, so Ignacio decided to put 'something' together to feed their hungry stomachs. Remember before this point Nacho was unknown to the world. This was the beginning of something wonderful. What Ignacio put together was some tostados (deep fried tortilla), over which he put some cheese, then toasted it and added a jalapeno to finish it off. [Source1, Source2]

That was the original recipe. Nachos today has so many variations. Its amazing that with such a humble beginning, nachos have become one of the most well known dishes served today in American restaurants.

Its weird but I was inspired to make nachos was a seasoning packet for tacos at a supermarket. It all started from there. So here is my version of it (and of course I added the cheese and the jalapenos!)

If you notice, i haven't added any measurements for the ingredients. It all depends on one's taste.

SIMPLE NACHOS:

Ingredients:

1. Tortilla Chips (unsalted, or salted if you prefer things salty)
2. Cheddar Cheese (you can use any kind)
3. Ground meat (~2lbs. I used lean beef, but you can use pork, turkey, chicken...anything)
4. Jalapenos (I used the canned ones. They are much milder than the fresh ones)
5. Tomatoes (diced)
6. Onions (diced)
7. Oil

Mehod:

First, I used about 2lbs meat and this seasoning and cooked as directed. The following is a step by step process how how it was made.

Take half of the ground meat and cook it in a little oil.

 When the first half starts browning, add the other half. Stir until the meat looks brown.

 Then add the seasoning as directed

 When all the water reduces, this is what it looks like finally:

Next, turn on the oven to 450F

Time to prepare the nachos! Place the tortilla chips evenly in the dish

 Add the beef that was cooked before

 Throw in the onion, tomato and jalapeno

And some yummy grated cheese next

 Then transfer the dish into the oven until the cheese melts.

It can be paired with salsa and sour cream. It is so yummy that it disappears in a couple of minutes, so be careful to at least grab a bite!

Simple Tilapia with Jalapeno

This recipe is inspired by a recipe by Ina Garten (one of my idols) called 'Sole Meuniere.'  I usually like foods with a lot of flavor so i changed it up and my family loved it. Its a simple dish and dosent require a lot of cooking time.

The fish that I used is frozen tilapia. It is very nice and flaky when thawed and cooked, even though it was frozen previously.

I used canned jalapenos. It is lovely when in sandwiches and other dishes. Even the liquid that comes with the jalapenos is mucho flavorful. Its worth trying.

SIMPLE TILAPIA WITH JALAPENOS

Ingredients:

1. Tilapia Fillets (3)
2. All purpose flour (3/4 cup)
3. Lemon (4 tsp per fillet, 3-4 medium lemons)
4. Jalapeno (2-3 as per taste)
5. Oregano (1 tsp)
6. Chili powder (1tsp, optional)
7. Salt, pepper (to taste)
8. Garlic (3 cloves, medium)
9. Oil

Method:
Get the dry ingredients (2,5,6,7) ready and mix them

Pat dry the fish with a paper towel. Then sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides.
Place the fish over the flour mixture and coat on both sides

Next heat oil in a pan (use as little as possible, i think i used about 1-2tsp for each fillet.

Add finely crushed garlic

Make sure that the garlic doesn't brown. Just after 30 seconds add the fish. The gas should be at about medium heat

After 7-10 minutes flip to the other side. You will notice that the garlic is crispy and brown

After 5 minutes, add 2 tsp of lemon and sliced jalapenos (i also added the liquid that came with the jalapenos)

Let it cook for another 5minutes. During this time make sure the jalapenos do not burn. Stir around the jalapenos during this time. If they come close to burning/over-cooking, just gather them and place it on the upper side of the fish

Season with salt and pepper 

Flip again and then add the other 2 tsp lemon. cook for about 3-5mins

 Finally, the fish can be paired with brown rice and/or mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables